We present photometric and spectroscopic observations of SN 2013fc , a bright type II supernova ( SN ) in a circumnuclear star-forming ring in the luminous infrared galaxy ESO 154-G010 , observed as part of the Public ESO Spectroscopic Survey of Transient Objects ( PESSTO ) . SN 2013fc is both photometrically and spectroscopically similar to the well-studied type IIn SN 1998S and to the bright type II-L SN 1979C . It exhibits an initial linear decline , followed by a short plateau phase and a tail phase with a decline too fast for ^ { 56 } Co decay with full gamma-ray trapping . Initially the spectrum was blue and featureless . Later on , a strong broad ( \sim 8000 km s ^ { -1 } ) H \alpha emission profile became prominent . We apply a Starlight stellar population model fit to the SN location ( observed when the SN had faded ) to estimate a high extinction of A _ { V } = 2.9 \pm 0.2 mag and an age of 10 _ { -2 } ^ { +3 } Myr for the underlying cluster . We compare the SN to SNe 1998S and 1979C and discuss its possible progenitor star considering the similarities to these events . With a peak brightness of B = -20.46 \pm 0.21 mag , SN 2013fc is 0.9 mag brighter than SN 1998S and of comparable brightness to SN 1979C . We suggest that SN 2013fc was consistent with a massive red supergiant ( RSG ) progenitor . Recent mass loss probably due to a strong RSG wind created the circumstellar matter illuminated through its interaction with the SN ejecta . We also observe a near-infrared excess , possibly due to newly condensed dust .